Rumor(26)

He released one arm and tilted her chin up so she had to look into his eyes. “I’m going to change that.”

Before she could even roll her eyes, his lips touched hers in a gentle, lingering kiss. The action instantly drained all her tension. The release made her lightheaded. Then he kissed her again, and again, a little deeper each time. Her stomach floated. Every reason she had for pushing him away evaporated. And she opened to him.

Josh cupped her face and stroked his tongue into her mouth on a long groan of pure satisfaction that vibrated through her body. The man was an amazing kisser, using his tongue in teasing, tantalizing ways that made Grace think of erotic things, made her body heat and yearn. When she finally pulled away to breathe, she found herself backed against a wall, Josh’s muscular body fitted to hers in exquisite perfection.

He tipped his head and kissed her jaw, her throat, her neck, murmuring, “You amaze me, Grace.”

His attitude had taken an about-face. She didn’t know which way was up anymore.

“I don’t have time for this.” She breathed the words heavily, needing space to think. “I have to work.”

She stepped out from between his body and the wall and tugged at the edge of her top, realizing she still had to change. But she stood there a minute, unable to straighten out her mind enough to get her feet moving.

“What?” Josh finally asked, drawing her gaze.

She shook her head. “I don’t know what to do with you.”

He smiled, the expression a little smug, a lot sweet, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he walked her to the door. Before opening it, he kissed her temple and whispered, “Well, now we’ve got time to figure that out.”



Thirty minutes later Josh pulled his shirt back on and wandered down the hallway toward the club. The sugary female voice echoing through the club sang “Santa Baby”—not exactly what Josh would consider a stripper song. But what the hell did he know?

Grace called out cues above the music. “Remember the eight count, Hillary. Slow down, Jaime. You’ve got a beautiful body, let them watch it move. Better. Kaitlin , think sensual. Rock those hips. Good. Spread your legs, close, spread, close. Pump, pump, pump, sloooow roll… Nice, ladies.”

A smile quirked his lips as he passed through the velvet drape toward the club. She was definitely not the woman she’d been a year ago, and, sweet Jesus, she turned him on in wicked ways.

The place was empty except for one girl behind the bar. The younger one…Kati, Kathy… Kelly, that was it. He took a quick glance toward the stage as he hugged the wall, staying in the shadows, but once he caught sight of the stage, his feet stopped. He couldn’t tell exactly what the women were wearing, but it was definitely Santa themed, and minimal. Short red velvet capes rimmed in white feathers covered their bodies, shoulders to hips. Traditional Santa hats adorned their heads. And thigh-high black patent leather spike boots clung to their long legs.

The music stopped, and he continued to the bar, where Kelly unpacked boxes of liquor.

She gave him a flirty, bright grin. “Well, look who’s back. What are you up to?”

“Helping Gr—” Dammit. “Nikki in the back. Think I could get a beer?”

“Absolutely. What kind?”

“Anything’s fine.”

On stage, Grace trotted up the stairs, while the girls created a line. She took center stage in front of the other three, wearing the same outfit. The velvet cape hid most of her body, but the long, toned thighs showing between the boot tops and the cape hem gave him plenty to admire.

A bottle clunked against the wooden bar, and Josh pulled out his wallet without ever taking his gaze off Grace.

“On the house.” Kelly’s voice drew Josh’s gaze for a moment. “And this is in case things with you and Nikki don’t work out.”

She slid a cocktail napkin across the bar—complete with her name, phone number, and x’s and o’s beneath printed in red ink.

He smiled, nodded, and pocketed the napkin with the intention of throwing it away when she was out of sight. “Thanks.”

“Okay, from the top,” Grace said as the beginning ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum of “Santa Baby” spilled through the sound system again.

All four of the women moved forward on the stage in unison, stepping toward the audience, one slow, exaggerated crisscross step per beat. Eartha Kitt’s sugary voice filled Josh’s ears as he fixed his gaze on Grace. The other three women were undeniably fifteens on a scale of one to ten, but Grace was that and more. She was a powerful, magnetic presence on stage. Absolutely irresistible.

She’d make a mint stripping… Buuuuut, Josh would keep that idea to himself.